Cornell and Beta Theta Pi: A Shared Legacy
A curated collection of notable contributions, traditions, and achievements connecting Cornell University with members of Beta Theta Pi — including many beyond the Beta Delta chapter. These facts highlight more than a century of influence across campus life, academics, athletics, and university leadership.
Cornell Landmarks and Programs Named for Betas
Cornell landmarks, buildings, and academic programs named in honor of members of Beta Theta Pi whose contributions to the university were significant enough to be memorialized on campus.
Cornell Songs
Cornell songs written by members of Beta Theta Pi whose lyrics or musical contributions became enduring parts of the university’s traditions and campus culture.
- “The Big, Red Team” — Written by Romeyn Berry, Class of 1904.
- “Give My Regards to Davy” (lyrics) — Written by Charles Edward Tourison, Class of 1905; W. L. Umstad, Class of 1906; and Bill Forbes, Class of 1906.
Cornell Traditions
Cornell traditions shaped or significantly influenced by members of Beta Theta Pi, including iconic campus terminology and historic athletic moments that remain part of the university’s identity.
- “Big Red” nickname — Coined by Romeyn Berry, Class of 1904.
- The Fifth Down Game — In 1940, Acting Athletic Director Robert J. Kane ’34 — a Beta Delta initiate — voluntarily relinquished Cornell’s controversial “Fifth Down” victory over Dartmouth, marking the only time a collegiate football game has been decided off the field after its completion.
University Leadership: Cornell Trustees
Members of Beta Theta Pi who have served on the Cornell University Board of Trustees across multiple generations, reflecting the fraternity’s long‑standing connection to the university’s governance. Additional names may be added as archival research continues.
- Joseph P. Ripley — Class of 1912 (1944-1959)
- Charles Werly — Class of 1927 (1966-1971)
- Robert Kane — Class of 1934 (1977-1982)
- Charles “Charley” Dykes — Class of 1936 (1968-1973)
- Donald Holcomb — Class of 1949 (DePauw University); Faculty Trustee (1976-1981)
- Harvey Sampson — Class of 1951 (1976-1980)
- Jon Lindseth — Class of 1956 (1990-1998)
- Joseph Calvo — Class of 1956 (Whitman College); Faculty Trustee (1992-1996)
Cornell Leadership: Presidents and Senior Administrators
Cornell presidents, deans, registrars, and senior university administrators who were members of Beta Theta Pi and whose leadership shaped the academic direction, governance, and institutional development of the university.
- Willard Austen — Class of 1894; University Librarian (1915–1930)
- Romeyn Berry — Class of 1904; Graduate Director of Athletics (1919–1935)
- Deane W. Malott — Class of 1921 (University of Kansas); Sixth President (1951-1963)
- Robert Kane — Class of 1934; Director of Athletics (1944–1971); Dean of Athletics (1971–1976)
- Rick Banks — Class of 1972; University Bursar (1994-1998)
Beta Professors at Cornell
This section highlights Cornell faculty who are members of Beta Theta Pi and who have made significant contributions to the university—whether through academic leadership, holding endowed chairs, directing major programs, or, in the case of current faculty, being members of the fraternity from any chapter, including alumni of the Beta Delta chapter.
- Frederick Stutz — Class of 1937 (Cornell). Dean of the School of Education.
- Paul Van Riper — Class of 1937 (DePauw University). Director of the PhD program for the Graduate School of Business and Public Administration. Also served as the chief administrative officer for the Cornell Constituent Assembly tasked with reorganizing the University in 1969-70.
- Edwin Resler — Class of 1947 (Carnegie Mellon University). Directed the Graduate School of Aerospace Engineering and served as the first Director of the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.
- Donald Holcomb — Class of 1949 (DePauw University). Chair of the Department of Physics and Director of the Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics.
- Walter LaFeber — Class of 1955 (Hanover College). A leading scholar of American foreign policy and one of Cornell’s most respected historians.
- Joseph Calvo — Class of 1956 (Whitman College). William T. Keeton Emeritus Professorship of Biology.
- John Burton — Class of 1957 (Cornell). Professor Emeritus at the Cornell School of Industrial and Labor Relations. Later became founding Dean of the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations. He also served as Beta Delta's Chapter Counselor in the late 1970s into the 1980s.
- David Bathrick — Class of 1958 (Dartmouth College). Chair of both the Department of German Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Theatre, Film and Dance as well as the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor of Theatre, Film and Dance.
- James Maas — Class of 1960 (Williams College). A nationally recognized psychologist and sleep researcher whose course Introduction to Psychology became one of Cornell’s largest and most influential.
- L. Joseph Thomas — Class of 1964 (Carnegie Mellon University). Former Dean and Dean Emeritus of the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management.
- Edward McLaughlin — Class of 1970 (St. Lawrence University). The Robert G. Tobin Professor of Marketing Emeritus at the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management.
- Michael Charles — Class of 2016 (Cornell). An Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, an Affiliate Faculty of the American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program, and a Faculty Fellow of the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability.
Cornell Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees (Betas)
Cornell athletes and athletics leaders who were members of Beta Theta Pi and whose achievements earned induction into the Cornell Athletic Hall of Fame, reflecting the fraternity’s long-standing presence in the university’s athletic history.
- Charles Young — Class of 1899; Baseball, Football, Special Category
- Romeyn Berry — Class of 1904; Graduate Director of Athletics; U.S. Olympic Committee
- George Heekin — Class of 1929; Track & Field, Special Category
- Bartholomew Viviano — Class of 1933; Football
- Robert Kane — Class of 1934; Dean of Athletics; President, U.S. Olympic Committee
- Robert Wiggans — Class of 1940; Soccer, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse
- Harvey Sampson — Class of 1951; Football, Special Category
- Robert “Rip” Haley — Class of 1951; Football, Baseball
- Lee Morton — Class of 1954; Basketball, Baseball
- Kevin Freeman — Class of 1964; Polo, Equestrian (2 time silver medal Olympian)
- William Bruckel — Class of 1967; Track & Field
- Harry Orr — Class of 1968; Hockey, Lacrosse
- Greggory Morris — Class of 1968; Basketball
Other Notable Athletes
Other Cornell athletes and athletics contributors who were members of Beta Theta Pi and whose achievements, leadership, or impact on Cornell sports merit recognition even though they are not part of the Cornell Athletic Hall of Fame.
- Robert L. Shape — Class of 1899; Captain of Henly Crew
- Maurice Whinery — Class of 1902; Captain of the Baseball team
- Jefferson Vincent — Class of 1910; Hockey
- Malcolm Vail — Class of 1910; Hockey; Captain of 1912 team; Nationally renowned goaltender.
- Jack Boehringer — Class of 1952; Crew
- Max Mattes — Class of 1955; point guard/forward on the 1954 Ivy League Championship team that advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen
- Clarence Jentes — Class of 1965; captain of the Cornell football team during the 1964 season
- Murray Deathe — Class of 1967; Co‑captain of Cornell’s 1967 NCAA hockey championship team.
Endowments
Endowments and named Cornell funds, facilities, and academic positions that honor members of Beta Theta Pi—whether established through their own philanthropy or named in recognition of their leadership, service, or impact on the university.
- Joseph P. Ripley — Class of 1912. Joseph P. Ripley Professor of Engineering, named in his honor (not endowed by him).
- George Heekin — Class of 1929. Endowed the George E. Heekin Coach of Track position. It is believed to be the first endowed coaching position at any university.
- Bartholomew Viviano — Class of 1933. The Bartholomew Viviano Scholarship at Cornell Law School, named in his honor (not endowed by him), supports students pursuing legal studies.
- Carl Kroch — Class of 1935. Endowed the Carl A. Kroch University Librarian position and funded the creation of Kroch Library.
- Harry E. Bovay Jr. — Class of 1936. Endowed the Bovay Program in the History and Ethics of Professional Engineering and the Sue G. and Harry E. Bovay Jr. Professorship in Ethics and Professional Engineering.
- Stanford Taylor — Class of 1951. With his family, endowed the Sage School of Philosophy Chair and created lasting support for Cornell’s humanities through a $5.2 million fellowship endowment and a $2 million endowment for the Society for the Humanities.
- Don Follett — Class of 1952. Established the Mibs Martin Follett Professor in Human Ecology to honor his late wife, Mabel “Mibs” Martin Follett ’51.
- Jack Boehringer — Class of 1952. With his wife Carol ('53), endowed the Boehringer Family Fellowships — Supporting Cornell graduate students pursuing master’s degrees in Systems Engineering and Biomedical Engineering.
- Gordon Lankton — Class of 1952. Along with his wife Janet ('53), endowed the Janet and Gordon Lankton Professorship in the College of Human Ecology.
- Walter LaFeber — Class of 1955 (Hanover College). The Walter LaFeber Professorship in the College of Arts & Sciences, endowed by Andrew H. and James S. Tisch, is named in his honor.
- Jon Lindseth — Class of 1956. Endowed multiple initiatives supporting Cornell’s libraries, digital scholarship, and humanities research.
- David A. Duffield — Class of 1962. Endowed Duffield Hall and the Cornell David A. Duffield College of Engineering.
Cultural & Artistic Contributions
Over the years, the Beta Delta chapter has supported Cornell’s cultural and artistic life through small but meaningful contributions. Beyond formal endowments, the chapter has hosted annual art exhibitions, invited faculty artists to display their work, and donated literary collections to campus institutions, reflecting its engagement with the broader intellectual community.
- 1926 — Donation to Willard Straight Hall Library The chapter presented a complete 26‑volume set of the works of Joseph Conrad to the Willard Straight Hall Library, reflecting Beta Delta’s support for the cultural and intellectual life of the newly established student union.
- The Beta Theta Pi house at 100 Ridgewood Road served as a cultural venue during the early and mid‑20th century, hosting annual art exhibitions that featured Cornell faculty and professional artists. These shows typically opened with an evening preview for invited guests, followed by public viewing hours in the Castle’s common rooms, and included works of notable quality—such as Prof. O. M. Brauner’s oil paintings of the Maine coast, Arcadia Park, Nantucket, and the Norwegian fjords, many of which had appeared in leading national galleries before traveling on to the Arnot Galleries in Elmira. Other documented exhibitors included Prof. George M. Sutton of Ornithology and sculptor Hester B. Berry, whose 1939 display featured bronze and plaster animal figures. Together, these curated events highlight Beta Delta’s longstanding support for artistic expression within the Cornell community and the Castle’s role as a campus cultural gathering place.
Historical Notes & Curiosities
This section gathers the small but meaningful fragments of Beta Delta’s past—stories, anomalies, genealogical surprises, and chapter footnotes that don’t fit neatly into the Prominent or Memorial categories but still enrich our understanding of the chapter’s history. These items illuminate the unexpected corners of our record: unusual roll‑book entries, brief but noteworthy connections, and moments where the chapter’s story intersects with the wider history of Cornell University in surprising ways.
- Ezra Cornell, IV— Initiated with the Class of 1955. The great‑great grandson of Cornell University’s founder, Ezra Cornell IV appears in the Beta Delta roll book as Roll No. 945. His military service during 1953–1955 likely interrupted his time at Cornell, and he later became an attorney in New Jersey. His entry represents a rare genealogical link between the chapter and the Cornell family.
Beta Theta Pi’s story at Cornell is woven through more than a century of shared traditions, leadership, and service. These legacies—shaped by generations of Cornellians and Betas alike—continue to define the character of the chapter and its enduring place within the university community.
